


Lean On Me (When You're Not Strong)

by Sisila_galad



Category: NCT (Band), SM Rookies
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 21:31:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7378099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sisila_galad/pseuds/Sisila_galad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shortly after NCT U debuts Johnny gets sad. Thankfully Hansol and Ten know just how to make him feel better</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lean On Me (When You're Not Strong)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this is my first fanfic literally ever, and it was written at 2am, so there's probably a host of problems with it, but i'm pretty happy with it so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ i hope you enjoy it. This was inspired by some very angry late night texts about the fact that SM refuses to free Johnny, save my boy

Johnny was happy that Ten got to debut, he really was. He knew better than anyone what it was like to wait for years to debut, to practice for hours on end, until your body could hardly move due to exhaustion. Your vocal chords stretched and overworked, so close to the limit that you were afraid to make any sort of sound in fear that they would snap. Unable to focus because your mind was wrapped in the suffocating embrace of sleep deprivation, but when the time to sleep finally came you'd lay in bed staring at the ceiling for hours on end because your brain wouldn't stop obsessing over that note you couldn't quite hit, or that dance move you couldn't quite master.

He knew how hard Ten had worked to get to debut and yet... Watching the 7th sense music video he couldn't help but hate him. He hated how even though he had been training for nearly 8 years, Ten was the one who debuted first. He hated how even though Ten had promised never to leave him behind, he'd gone and debuted in a damn group while he sat rotting in SM's basement. He hated how even though he had every excuse to despise Ten, he couldn't find it in him to do anything else but adore the man.

He directed his attention back to his laptop, where he'd paused the music video on a particularly flattering close up of Ten. How dare he wish anything other than the greatest success for Ten? How dare he think he had any more right to debut than Ten? Ten worked just as hard, if not harder than him, Ten deserved this debut just as much as any of them. If anything this was just more proof to him that he had to work harder, that no matter how much it hurt he had to work harder and then maybe one day he would've earned the honor of performing on stage beside his friends.

Suddenly the door was pushed open a crack, light from the hallway illuminating Johnny's dark room. He peered into the light and saw a dark figure standing in the doorway.

"Hey, I thought I heard you up," the figure said. Johnny was able to see that it was Hansol once he stepped further in. Hansol flipped the lights on and quietly closed the door as he padded over to Johnny. "I brought us tea."

Johnny nodded his thanks as Hansol handed him the cup. Hansol grabbed the comforter off Johnny's bed as he joined him on the floor, and draped it across the two of them.  
Hansol took one look at what was on Johnny's laptop and grimaced. He slowly shut it and looked over at him. "You know you can't compare yourself to them, right? Yeah, they might've debuted first, but we'll all get our chance, it just might take a while."

Johnny shook his head sadly. "It already has taken a while, Hansol. I've been here for nearly 8 years, I could've debuted with fucking EXO for Christ's sake! After that, I told myself I had to get better but it's been 5 fucking years and when it came time to pick the lineup of a new group they still didn't pick me! At this point I don't know how else I can improve, Hansol! God, sometimes I wonder if I should just give up, I mean they obviously have no need for me!" Johnny hadn't realized he was crying until he felt Hansol reach up and cradle Johnny's face in his hands as he wiped the tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

"Oh Johnny, I know it's hard, and I know you've been here longer than any of us, longer than any man should, but that doesn't mean you should give up!" The grip that he had on Johnny's face tightened slightly as Hansol turned Johnny to look up at him. "Whenever I feel like giving up I just think about how hard you've worked, and how long you've worked, and how even though SM's passed you up on so many occasions you just keep going out and working harder. Don't you get it, Johnny? You're an inspiration to us all! Ten wouldn't be where he is now if it wasn't for you! We need you here!" The last sentence was said with so much earnest fervor that the only thing Johnny found he could do was to wrap his arms around Hansol and sob.

Hansol ran his fingers through Johnny's hair, as he rubbed his back and slowly rocked the two back and forth.

"Shhhh, it's okay Johnny, let it all out." They stayed like that for a while until Hansol sat back a bit and laid Johnny's head in his lap as he grabbed his phone. "I think I have a way to cheer you up!" Hansol handed Johnny the phone and before he could even ask what he was supposed to do a worried voice had started to speak.

"Johnny? Are you there baby? Hansol told me you were having a rough night." Even through the tinny speaker of Hansol's phone that voice still had the power to send shivers down Johnny's spine.

"Ten!" Johnny gasped with just a bit too much excitement. God, he probably sounds like a lonely kid getting a call from his mom, to say nothing of the stuffed nose he was now sporting from crying for the past 10 minutes. "-er Ten, yeah I guess you could call it a rough night, yeah."

"Oh baby, have you been crying? Oh, I'm sorry I can't be there, our schedule was just too packed to get back to the dorms tonight."

"N-no it's fine, I have Hansol right now, you don't need to worry about me." Johnny cuddled the phone closer to his ear as Hansol continued to stroke his head.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No I think I'm fine, I'm just being dumb is all." Just hearing Ten's voice had already made all his insecurities seem pointless, why had he been so bothered about Ten debuting?

"Honey you're never dumb to me, but if you really don't want to talk about it right now we don't have to. How about I help you fall asleep? Hansol's told me about how you've been having a hard time sleeping recently."

"Y-you would?"

"Of course! How about I tell you a story from where I come from, it was one of my favorite stories as a kid!"

And so with Ten's beautiful lilting voice in his ear, and Hansol's hands in his hair Johnny started to fall asleep. Just before he dropped he thought to himself 'it might take 100 years before I debut, but as long as I have friends like these by my side, I think I could bear with that.' And slowly drifted into darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm pretty sure Ten calls everyone "baby" and "honey", and hansol's just a sweet heart to everyone so you can read this as platonic love or romantic love whatever floats your boat, i hope you enjoyed


End file.
